


Delirious

by JaneyKatherineHummingbird



Series: Star Trek Reader Inserts [4]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Scientist Reader, over protective Bones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 16:14:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11490003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneyKatherineHummingbird/pseuds/JaneyKatherineHummingbird
Summary: Reader gets bitten by a snake and ends up confessing her crush to the man himself.





	Delirious

**Author's Note:**

> My newest Bones/Reader fic!!

Bones/Reader

"Dammit! I'm a doctor, not nature-loving bear-bait!!" 

Leonard McCoy was really disgruntled about this away mission, which had turned into a camping trip, due to the long journey to the native's secluded village. The alien guide was leading the way, talking with Uhura and Jim, while you and the doctor trudged on behind. You giggled to yourself as he continued ranting about disease and danger and predators. It was funny how such a fearless man, who'd run into a firefight to save injured crew, could freak out over a few days in the wild. 

"I don't think there are any bears on this planet, Doctor," you informed him, strolling along happily. You were having the time if your life on this gorgeous place and couldn't believe he was so sour about it, but then Dr. McCoy was sour about everything, which was a shame, because he was incredibly handsome. He frowned at you. 

"Well, surely they have some sort of carnivorous animal life? It's too much to hope that we're completely safe out here."

It's almost as if he was looking for reasons to gripe, you thought, shaking your head.

"Not around here, doc, sorry to disappoint you. It's mostly birds, rodents, and insects in this area. If we'd have landed on the other side of the continent, well, that would be a different story. Luckily, the Captain listens to his science officers when it comes to dangerous flora and fauna."

He snorted. "You haven't been here long, have you?" 

"Four months. Why?"

"Jim isn't exactly known for his cautious streak. I could tell you plenty of stories--like the time he he got captured by a sentient vine that was holding him upside down, dangling in the air. Sulu had to hit the thing with laughing gas to get it to let go of the captain."

You laughed out loud and the captain turned and looked back at you. 

"What's up, Lieutenant? Bones telling bad jokes again?" 

"No, he's telling me juicy stories about you, actually," you replied. "Don't worry. It's nothing too incriminating." 

Kirk shot McCoy a betrayed look.

"And here I thought you were my friend, Bones."

"Well, Jimmy, I was just reminding the Lieutenant here of some of your more.....hair-brained away missions to pass the time."

The captain sighed. "You have to bring up my wild and irresponsible past?"

"Yep!" The doctor replied cheerfully. "It's not completely in the past, either."

You thought their banter was hilarious, but hid your grin, lest Jim think you were ganging up on him. 

More trudging and crazy stories later, a large black bird swooped overhead, letting out a loud "CAWW!!" You stared at it in wonder. It was like a crow, but three times larger. 

"Bad omen," Leonard muttered. "Something's going to go terribly wrong soon, I can feel it." 

"Why Doctor, I thought you were a man of science who didn't hold to superstition!!" You reminded him. "It's just a bird!" 

"I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious," he said, eying the low-flying bird with great suspicion. 

"Is that even a word?" You asked in disbelief. 

"It is now. Big black birds mean either something bad has already happened or will happen. The thing's the size of a vulture almost."

You shook your head as the doctor strolled on, muttering things about the treacherous nature of unknown planets. You looked apprehensively at the gathering clouds in the sky and hoped he wouldn't turn out to be right. 

About a mile later, the guide led Jim off the trail under a thick stand of trees with leaves the size of your head.

"She says we should take shelter from the rain. There's a cave back in here we can take cover in." 

With another look of trepidation, the doctor followed you through the trees. 

Your eyes were wide as you took in the foreign plant life that you'd never seen before. Giant ferns and ivy grew everywhere and there were huge clusters of flowers that looked like hydrangeas were dotted about the forest. You had your tricorder out in a second, analyzing as much as you could as you followed along. Leonard saw how your eyes were shining with excitement as you explored, clearly in your element, and he softened a bit, knowing what a scientific paradise this place probably was to you.

"Keep up, Bones, lieutenant!!" Jim called back and you realized you'd lagged quite a ways behind in your engrossing study of the plants.

"Sorry," you called and tucked your tricorder away reluctantly, striding forward quickly to catch up to the other three. In a few minutes, everyone was huddled inside the shallow cave, watching sheets of rain pour off the overhang as the storm swept through. 

 

"Wow, what a downpour," The captain observed. 

"Yes, it is," you said. "Rather refreshing. I haven't seen real rain in a long time."

"This your first away mission?" He asked. 

"Yes, sir," you replied. You shifted your leg slightly to better balance your weight against the waist high boulder you leaned on and felt a sudden stabbing pain in your thigh. Whirling around, you saw a long speckled body gliding away into the darkness. 

"Lieutenant, what's wrong? You're white as a sheet," Kirk asked urgently.

"I think a snake bit me," you said faintly. 

"What? Where?!" The doctor was instantly alert and moving to your side.

"Here," you said, pointing to the back of your leg just above the knee. "It was on that rock. It crawled away really quickly. I didn't recognize the species." 

Already, your leg was throbbing and cold fear shot through you as you thought of the poison working through you. 

"Try to describe it to me," Uhura put in worriedly. "I can ask Teelith if she knows what it is and if it's poisonous." 

"It is poisonous," the doctor confirmed. "I'm going to give you a hypo to try to counter it until we know what's going on. Keep still." 

Numbly, you nodded as the hypo was delivered. 

"From what I could see, the snake was tan with black and gray spots. He was pretty cranky about getting his nap disturbed, I guess." 

"I should say so," Jim said. "I'll keep a sharp eye out in case he comes back. Bones, how's it look?"

"Not great, Jim. We need to get an antivenin soon." 

Uhura was explaining the snake to the guide, and you saw her eyes grow wide with alarm. 

"She says it's the Speckled Cave Snake and they're very dangerous. They have a treatment, but we must get her to the capitol before the day is over." 

Your frightened eyes met Leonard's. 

"It's going to kill me, isn't it?" You whispered. Your leg was very tingly and starting to go numb. 

He swallowed hard and looked you square in the eyes. 

"Not if I can help it, Y/N. We'll get you there in good time. Won't we Jim?" 

"We sure will. Everybody Break out your rain gear and get ready to move out," the captain ordered. "We're going to get her to help, weather or no weather." 

Without further ado, he took off his pack and began rummaging through it for the standard poncho. You shrugged your own pack off, but the doctor quickly took it in hand to get out your gear, seeing you struggling to twist around.

"Stay still," he gently ordered. "I'll get it." 

"I don't know if I can walk fast enough." You admitted as you stuck your head through the hole and began to fasten the front and back together at your side. 

"That's okay, Y/N, Jim and I can give you a lift--if you're okay with that," he amended. 

_"With you? Very okay,"_ you thought. Dr. McCoy was the subject of many of your friends dreams and up until this mission, you'd always rolled your eyes at their pining. Now that you'd met him and worked with him, well, you definitely understood the appeal. His pessimism and grumpiness was clearly not an indication of him genuinely being unpleasant, but mostly an ongoing mild protest against space. According to rumors, he'd joined Starfleet just to get away from a nasty ex-wife who'd cleaned him out and made his existence a living hell. 

You didn't understand how someone could possibly do that to Leonard, but obviously you didn't know the whole story. 

Ponchos in place, you found yourself being lifted into Leonard's arms as the five of you prepared to continued the trek to the native city. 

"Hmmm," you murmured. "Nice biceps." 

"You flatter me, Lieutenant" Leonard replied, looking down at you with a gentle smile. "You comfortable?"

"As much as I can be," you told him. "Where's my backpack?" 

"Uhura's got it." He told you. Thus reassured, you nodded at Jim, who was waiting for the Okay to move. 

Out into the rain you went, pulling your hood over your face as much as possible to keep from getting to much rain on your face. 

Luckily, the rain did not last the whole four hour trip, but you weren't sure you would. You felt worse and worse as the hours dragged by, the numbness joined by a fever that made the rest of your body ache. Leonard was occasionally spelled by Jim when his arms grew tired, but not for very long periods. 

"Hurts, Len," you mumbled. "So hot."

"I see," he said, looking very concerned. "Try to hang in there, sweetheart, we're almost there. Teelith says it's just a few kilometers, now."

"Good," you whispered and closed your eyes. Right now you just wanted to sleep and wake up better. 

You were drifting in and out of consciousness when a voice said "there it is! Look, Y/N, there's the city." 

You pried your eyes open a slit, but you couldn't make anything out--it was all blurry. It appeared Jim was carrying you, since the sleeve was yellow, rather than blue. 

"I'll take your word for it. Can't see much right now." You whispered. 

"Bones, she says she can't see." Jim told the CMO. We've got to get her in there as soon as possible or we're gonna lose her!"

You were transferred back to the doctor's hold for the last leg of the journey and you smiled deliriously.

"Y'know, doc, If I don't die, I was gonna ask you out."

"Oh?" The doctor asked pleasantly, one eyebrow going up, though you couldn't see it in your state.

"Yep. You're totally cute, and really smart, and completely sexy," you rambled on. "Even your grumpiness is adorable and did I mention the dimples?" 

"Now, now, Y/N, you're gonna make me blush. You're the cute one, you know." 

"You think I'm cute?" You said, head lolling around to try to see him.

"Sure do, darlin'." 

Even in your fevered misery, a happy feeling went through you. Unfortunately, you passed out again before you could say anything else. 

When you woke up, you were in a very soft kind of bed and feeling much better, if very tired. The room was a soothing blue color, but strangely circular. 

"Hey, sleeping beauty," came a voice beside you. There sat Leonard, a relieved grin exposing his dimples--the dimples you rambled on about to his face. "Welcome back." 

Trying not to blush, you nodded. 

"Am I going to make it?" You asked.

"Sure are." He told you, giving your hand a squeeze. "We made it in the nick of time. You're going to be here a couple more days, though, because your body is worn out. Speckled Cave Snakes are no joke." 

"Thanks for hauling my sorry ass around," you sighed. "Please tell me I didn't hit on you when I was out of it."

The smug grin that spread over his face confirmed your fears and you covered your eyes with your hand.

"Alright, I won't tell you. But if you ever get a hankering to ask me out when you're not out of your head, well, I won't say no. You're a great scientist and a charming person." 

Your blush grew deeper as he continued in a teasing tone: "Didn't I tell you the crow was a bad sign?"

Epilogue: Four Years Later

You wriggled in your husband's arms, trying to get untangled from his long limbs curled around you. Leonard McCoy would deny it until the day he died, but he was a big cuddle bug and getting free was tricky. 

"Len, honey, can you let me out? Need to get up."

A grunt was the response, followed by "I'm not letting you go. It's too early to get up." 

One eye was partially open and he squinted at you blearily. You couldn't help but chuckle at his cute scruff, wild bedhead, and growly protests as you continued your attempts to rise from the bed.

"I'm afraid I do have to get up, darling," you told him, with a kiss on his jaw. "Baby on the bladder makes things very urgent, you know."

He smiled sleepily and finally moved his leg and arm so you could heave your eight months pregnant belly out of bed. 

"You're beautiful, darlin," he called after you. 

"If you say so," you returned, making a beeline for the bathroom, cringing at the sight of yourself in the mirror. 

That very eventful away mission had been the catalyst for a budding relationship between you and Leonard that resulted in marriage 18 months ago. Now, there was a little McCoy due in a few weeks and two very excited parents to be. The Enterprise was in refit for a year, so the pregnancy wouldn't happen in space, a great relief to your worrywart husband. 

When you emerged from the bathroom, Leonard was sitting up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and looking too cute to resist, so you walked over and sat down beside him, leaning into his warm chest. 

"How's our little peanut doing this morning?" He asked, giving you a sweet, lingering kiss. 

"Feeling feisty," you said, guiding his hand to the spot you could feel little kicks. "Pretty soon we'll have another little blue shirt scientist in the family." 

"Probably, but he or she isn't going anywhere near any caves on strange planets if I can help it," Len said firmly. "No more snakes."


End file.
